Last.



I-IENRY WATER-S, er BISBEE, ARIZON rnirnrromr.

. LAST.

1,ere,54e.

Applicatn fi1ed August 18, 1910. Serial No. 577,755.

Specifieaton of Lettezsletent.

Patented Dee. 5, 1911,

eitizen of theUnited States, residing at tory of Ariz0ne, hewe inventedcertain new and useful Imprmements'in Lass; and I de declarethe-foliowing te be a full, clear, and exact description of theinventen,sueh as Will enable others skilled in the art t0 which it appertains tomake ;and use the Same.

This invention relaces te imprevements in lasts.

One objectof the imention isto provide a sh0e last having improved meanswhereby instep blocks of difierent st-y1es may be readily engirged Withnd held in posit-i0n on the last, thus neeessitating but -one last is aplan "iew showing the partsof the last separeted; Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectionof the last wth the parts assembled; Fig. 3 is a"ertical cross sectional view of t-he same on the iine 3-3 of F ig. 2;Fig. al is a bottom plan view of the instep bleek of the last.

Referring more partcularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the last whieh iscut away on the upper side of the toe and nstep porton te form a seat 2for the detachable instep bloeks 3 which are detachably engaged With andseeured thereto in a mani1er hereinafter described. Onthe seat 2 formedby cutting away the upper portion of the last is arranged centrallongitudinall-y disposed upwardly projecting rib 4 which extends fromthe toe end of the last to a point opposite the instep thereof. Theupper edge of the rib 4 is formed en a curve and the' rib graduallyincreases in thiekness from the toe end to the instep end thereof asshowi1, and also inereases gradually in width from the instep end te thetoe end thereof thus providing a wedge shaped construction. On the uppercurved edge of the rib 4 is seeured a b1ock fastening p1ate 5, the width0 which gradually increases from -the immer or in inner .surface of thebottom of thebloek prbjecf beyond the opposit sides-offhe rib] and formfianges, the purpose of which will .be hereinafter morefully described.Bisbee, in the county of Coehise and Territrally disposed slot 6, thewidth of which gradally increasesfrom the instep end thereof toward thetoe end. The thicknss of the material forrning' the"lowerside= of thebloek3inereases fronrt he te end t oi the instep end of theblpck, sothat the thickness 01? the walls of the slot-6 orrspond wit-h -thethickness of therib4on the last, so that when the nstep block is engagedwith the seat 2 of 'thelast the flangs formed by .7 the projecting sdeedges of the p1ate" 5 wil lap over andengagethe inner. surfaee thebottom of the bloek when the latte'ris forced down in position on theseat2 thereby seeurely holding the bleek in plsiee (in the last.Arranged on 'che inrier surfijc efthe bottomof bhe bleek are weer plates7 whch are engaged by the projeeting edges orQ finnges of the plate 5,thus preventing the vposite longitudinal prjeeting edges f said platewil1 yieldingly and frictionally engage with the weer piates 7 when 'theinstep bleek 3 is placed in proper positior upon the last 1 whereby thesziid instep bloek is prevented fr0rn accidentally changing its relatixepesit-ion in respect to the last,

Thehee1 portion of the last prefrably recessed on its inner sideai; theend of the rib 4 andon the upper side of the heel portion adjaeent theinner end of the seat 2 formed thereon is a pivoted each 8 whchpreferably in the form of a plate or button the lower edge of whieh atits ree end is beveled to facilitate the engagement of the plate orbutton with the adjacent upper end of the bleek -3, thereby securelyfastening the bleek When in place on the last. On the upper end oftheblock is formed arearwardly projeeting stop lug 9 whieh is adapted toengage the upper side of the heel portion of the last.

In order to the instep and upper portibn of the toe of the sh0e atdifferent points to eause the instep 01 portions of the toe t0 conformto the irregnlarities of the foot, or for the accommodation of bunions,I provde stretehing devies 10 and 11. The stretching devicel0 is in theform of an Oblong shaped plate or bleek Whielr is formed of leather orother suitable muterial and is rounded on its enter surface and formedon its inner side with a eurvature or concavity which con- 'orms withthe shape of the upper portion of the instep bleek With whieh the sameis enggaged. The stretching plate or block 10 is. prvided at itsopposite ends with downwurdly projeeting fastening pins 12 which areudapted 10 be engaged with apertures formed in the upper portion of theinstep block as shown. The buniqn stretehing de vice eomprises a convexdisk 01 bleek which may be of circular r other suitable form and whichis provided With a centrally disposed inwardly extending fastening pin13 which is adapted tobe engaged with one of a series of apertures 14formed in the upper side of the toe portin of the bloek whereby thestretching device 11 is adapted to be airanged at different positionsfox stretching the shoe at the desired point or whereby twoproviderneans for stretching A lastbomprising a body portion pro" videdwith a longitudinal rib terminatii1g at a suitable distan'ee from thetoe portion of said body, aretaining 1ib and having its longitudinaledges projecting beyond the opposite sides of the rib, a hollowdetachable instep bloek, the base of which is slotted longitdinally andof greater Width than the rib, and plates secured t0 theinner surfaee ofthe base porti.on of the instep block, the edges of which project beyondthe slot formed therein, and adapted for yielding engagement with theplate earried by the rib, whereby the parts are held in frictionalengagement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

HENRY WATERS.

Witnesses:

JOHILSMITH, Y HENRY J. Hnnms.

Copies ef this patent may be obtaned ior five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioiier of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

plate secured te the

